Meanwhile, as recent Gallup and National Public Radio polling has shown, confidence in the media is dangerously low. There are many reasons for this -- from viewers perceiving the news as acting as Donald Trump opposition or Trump state-run media, to the increase in relevance of tabloid outlets such as the National Enquirer, to plain old bias and mistakes.
But while ratings and circulation are up (Trump has been great for the business of media), about two-thirds of Americans don't trust the media anymore. And this is not a red or blue state issue: It is a problem for the nation as a whole.
Here are six steps the media can take to improve its relationship with the American people.
1. Focus on policies, not personalities
Whatever the day, even during important hurricane coverage, much of the conversation still centers on Donald Trump. And Trump is particularly adept at ensuring the media reacts to his whims, rather than the critical issues facing everyday Americans.
In short, the media falls into the Trump trap, guaranteeing the back and forth with current, former or anonymous staffers, and hyperbolic tweets, take precedence over real questions Trump would much rather not talk about.
Of course, ignoring Trump's personality and the effect it has on government is impossible and unwise. But on cable news, in particular, critical issues, such as opioid addiction and rising health care costs, continue to get short shrift over personality-driven news.
2. It's not about you.
There seems to be no topic the press loves to cover more than itself.
And each spring, a series of dinners, culminating in the White House Correspondents Dinner, are held where, in addition to awarding youth journalism scholarships and honoring breakthrough investigative reporting, the press congratulates itself, telling those in attendance how their "speaking truth to power" matters "now more than ever." It is as if the press holds up a mirror to itself and channels Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speech, "You like me. You really like me," while admonishing any Trump administration officials or supporters in attendance.
This is part of the swamp Trump was elected to drain and why, as President, he has boycotted these events.
Meanwhile, the American people decidedly do not like the media. Trust in the media has plummeted to the point that we have gone from George H.W. Bush's milquetoast and ultimately ineffective "Annoy the media, re-elect Bush" to Trump's daily war on the press being a very effective, if troubling, strategy.
3. Be Clark Kent, not Superman
Sloganeering from the media -- such as the Washington Post proclaiming on its front page "Democracy Dies in Darkness" -- positions them as the opposition to Trump. And, worse yet, many journalists hide behind the First Amendment -- using it as a Superman-like shield -- which infuriates many Americans, who think journalists assign an enlarged sense of self-worth to what they do.
Reporting matters, and quality reporting is threatened -- both by tightening newsroom budgets and layoffs. But much of the media posturing against Trump appears to be more about self-aggrandizement than hard-hitting reporting. This is far from being a "mild-mannered reporter at a great metropolitan newspaper" like Clark Kent. And it's not even the more aggressive, fact-based reporting Todd calls for.
Many journalists may bristle at the Clark Kent/Superman comparison, but the reality is, at least privately, they view Trump as a political Lex Luthor, and cover him as such. "Step aside, Lois, I'll protect you," they tell voters daily.
4. Less click-driven, fact checking columns; more internal ombudsmen
Politicians should be held accountable. But rating a political speech as "Pants on Fire" or "4 Pinocchios'" and boldly declaring the "Lie of the Year" has taken precedence over some of the deeper dives into politicians' actions.
Politicians often lie. But the press also gets it wrong, sometimes wildly wrong. Indeed, as Todd writes, "unforced errors by high-profile anchors to the biggest missed news story of the 21st century -- the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- we have handed critics some lethal ammunition."
The media cannot afford to get a story wrong. Even innocent mistakes will be viewed and portrayed as bias. They must increase scrutiny of their organizations' own stories to ensure they get it right before going to print or on air. And when a story is wrong, address it immediately, which is why The New York Times and Washington Post eliminating their ombudsman/public editor roles has a real impact.
This is true whether the story in question is a major news story, such as the discredited ABC Michael Flynn story, or a smaller story, like Friday's New York Times misleading article about the curtains in Ambassador Nikki Haley's official residence.
With media scrutiny at an all-time high, getting it right matters, yes, now more than ever. Failing to do so only further enables Trump's anti-media agenda.
5. Get rid of editorial pages
Anyone who has worked with the press can recite the familiar refrain from reporters of how editorial pages -- specifically unsigned editorial pieces by company brass telling politicians how to act and voters how to vote -- and the newsroom are separate entities. To the public, there is neither a distinction nor a difference. When they see an editorial from their local paper, they see the paper, not this section or that page or even the byline.
Editorial pages like to think they represent the community, but unless they are in a completely homogeneous area, they only represent the subset that already agrees with them. Similarly, when opinion pages feature several anti-Trump opinion pieces and few pro-Trump opinion pieces, this further erodes their credibility in the eyes of readers. By definition, this represents what members of the media say they oppose: bubbles, echo chambers and ivory towers.
Aloofness or even disdain toward opposing views raises the question of whether editorial pages -- which in print, at least, usually do not run ads -- create a profit, or are expensive vanity pages at a time when papers are facing newsroom layoffs and buyouts.
6. Don't run anonymous opinion pieces
This should be a no-brainer.
By running an anonymous opinion piece -- so vaguely sourced that it could be one of hundreds of Trump administration officials -- the Times hurt not Trump's credibility, but that of the entire news media. Several pro-Trump voters who contacted me about the piece dismissed it out of hand, not for the content, but for the fact that the attack was anonymous. The Times' explanation of the vetting process essentially boiled down to "trust us." But the public does not trust the media, and the anonymous piece demonstrates why.
And, it's worth noting, if the "senior administration official" turns out to be an individual no one has ever heard of, the damage could be even worse for the news media writ large.
As Trump's war on the media continues, a free press is fundamental to our republic and should be a model for the world. For the press to be that, it must take proactive steps to repair the damage it has done to its own standing with the public.
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